Former Rikers Correctional Officer Smuggled Contraband To Inmates In Return For Cash Bribes

A former Rikers Island correction officer, accused of smuggling contraband to inmates, pleaded guilty to the charges.

The former officer, identified as 30-year-old Joshua Alba of Queens, New York, admitted to smuggling “contraband into a prison facility in return for cash bribes,” a press release from the United States Attorney’s Office said Wednesday, July 15. He smuggled the packages to inmates detained at the Anna M. Kross Center in return for “thousands of dollars in cash bribes,” the release added.

“Contraband smuggling schemes threaten the security of our prisons and jeopardize the safety of inmates and other guards, and my office will continue to aggressively pursue those correctional officers who betray their duties for the lure of easy money,” acting U.S. attorney Audrey Strauss said.

On Wednesday, Alba pleaded guilty to one count of “conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud.” He could face up to 20 years in prison.

The Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation, Margaret Garnett, said, “This former City Correction Officer allegedly used his access and influence to funnel contraband into Rikers Island in exchange for thousands of dollars in cash, according to the charges. This scheme isn’t original; it isn’t inventive, but it is dangerous for staff and inmates and must be acted on swiftly through rigorous investigation and prosecution. DOI thanks the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and the New York Field Office of the FBI for their partnership in uncovering this alleged crime.”

The New York City Department of Correction (NYCDOC) prohibits officers and other staff from introducing or delivering contraband to inmates.

“[E]mployees shall not enter into any transaction with an inmate, nor carry, convey, or make accessible to an inmate within a facility/command any intoxicant, opiate, narcotic, or other contraband article, nor traffic with an inmate in any manner,” the NYCDOC stated.

“Keeping illegal contraband out of our jails is an ongoing challenge for corrections officers. It’s hard to imagine why an insider on the job would assist with this process, the results of which put everyone in the facility at risk. There’s no excuse for this type of irresponsible and illegal behavior,” FBI Assistant Director William F. Sweeney Jr. said in the press release.

In a similar case in Ohio, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff was investigating accusations of food service workers allegedly smuggling contraband into the county jail. The county spokeswoman Mary Louise Madigan confirmed the news Thursday, July 17, however, she did not talk about what kind of contraband was smuggled into the prison.